
Otsego hosts Wednesday activities for children
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor I’m bored.Many a parent has heard that lament from their children, particularly during the long summer break. Thanks to a collaborative effort between the City of Otsego, Otsego Public Schools and Otsego Main Street, finding something…
Arts Council seeks volunteers
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Calling local artists: the Otsego Arts Council needs you and your talents.The council is looking for two additional artists who are willing to volunteer to paint one of eight mural panels along the riverfront in downtown…
Plainwell reviews Capital Improvement Program
By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN – The Plainwell City Council was scheduled to review and discuss the 2022 Capital Improvement Program at a special meeting late last week.The Council was also to consider approving a project for water distribution system materials…
Otsego police show off grilling skills
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Building positive relationships with those in the community is a priority for Otsego Police Chief Brad Misner.Misner and others in his department did just that by showing up at Memorial Park to grill hot dogs for…
Traffic stop results in deputy shooting driver
Michigan State Police have identified the victim in a deadly deputy-involved shooting.Police say 22-year-old Joseph Maverick Nagle of Comstock Park was killed in what started as a traffic stop in Monterey Township, near the border of Salem Township, around 10…
APS parent demands resignation of school board member
By Leslie Ballard An Allegan Public School parent and PTO President demanded the resignation of school board member Jennifer Nicholson during the public comment segment of the June 13 board meeting.Meghan Jones contends that Nicholson has been leaking information that…
Homeless in Allegan City – A closer look
By Leslie Ballard The word homeless often conjures up images of panhandlers begging on city street corners or people huddled under overpasses or sleeping in store doorways. It may also evoke images of the tent cities in San Francisco or…
David Alan Bell, 60
David Alan Bell, 60, of Allegan, passed away June 7, 2022 at Bronson Methodist Hospital. Born on August 6, 1961 to the late Ralph Loren and Joan Mae Bell (Linsner), Dave was the youngest of four children. Small in stature…
Irvin “Skip” Clifford, Jr., 60
Irvin “Skip” Clifford, Jr., 60, of Allegan, Michigan, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, June 8, 2022 in Allegan, Michigan. Born May 21, 1962 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he was the son of the late Irvin Sr. and Jacqueline (Brabon) Clifford and the…
My father, my hero
(I wrote this a year ago but wanted share it again. Heck I might share this column over and over for years to come. The man meant so much to me)This week I give pause to reflect on my hero,…
Life as Performance Art
I have been waking up well before dawn this spring, and it is all my wife’s fault. No, she is not pulling the blankets over to her side on cool mornings, or sprawling across the bed, shoving me closer to the…
Otsego Arts Council hosts first Artisan Market
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor When the volunteer-led Otsego Arts Council formed last year, it did so with a mission to “empower artists and expand arts programming in our community.”One way the council is fulfilling that mission is by hosting the…
Irving retires as pantry director at Christian Neighbors
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor One hour.That’s how long Dorothy Irving’s friend asked her to commit to volunteering at Christian Neighbors Food Pantry. That was in 1999.“My neighbor Patsy was in charge of the pantry—which was located in a small garage-sized…
Summer reading programs start at local libraries
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Students who attend Otsego Public Schools and Plainwell Community Schools are officially on summer break.And that, among other things, means it’s time once again for the annual summer reading programs at the local libraries.The programs at…
Wayland Schools seek $48.5 million bond approval
Wayland Union Schools will have a bond proposal on the August 2, 2022 ballot focusing on improved learning environments and technology in all school buildings, upgrades to Career Tech spaces, a new pool for district and community use, larger instructional…
Trestle bridge to remain closed, summer events kick-off successful
By Leslie Ballard Infrastructure issues continue to be a major concern for the Allegan City Council, who spent most of the June 13 Study Session discussing the status of the trestle bridge near Jaycee Park.The Council voted to close the…
One dead, one critical when motorcycle crashes in to ditch
By John RaffelCorrespondent ALLEGAN – Allegan County sheriff department deputies reported on Sunday at 8:50 p.m., first responders were dispatched to a personal injury crash on 130th Ave near 24th St in Monterey Township.A Hopkins Fire Department member came across a single…
Life as Performance Art
James Barrie, best remembered as the author of Peter Pan, also wrote a short play he called, “The Old Woman Shows Her Medals.” It is a sad tale of an elderly widow who would periodically go to the local train station,…
OHS honors seniors
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor Each year, Otsego High School honors the members of the graduating class who maintained a 4.0 or high grade point average throughout their high school career.The Class of 2022 included 29 such students, meaning they graduated…
Bring back Civics classes, initiate term limits
I fear for our democracy. My fear is rooted in the fact that most citizens don’t really care about what is happening at their federal, state and local governments. Only fifty percent of us bother to vote, and once the…

Do you need help? Write Us!
By Mike Wilcox
Owner/Publisher
Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I’m reminded just how generous our communities can be. For nearly two decades, Wilcox Newspapers has hosted what’s become one of my favorite traditions: our Annual Christmas Wish Program.
It started simply enough. We asked readers who were struggling to write in and tell us what would make their Christmas a little brighter. The idea was to connect local families in need with local people who wanted to help. Over the years, it’s grown into something truly special—and this year, we’re doing it again.






